State Price Agreement Administrator / Purchasing Agent IV - Hybrid

This position is only open to Colorado state residents.

This posting may fill more than one vacancy.

Thank you for your interest in working for the State of Colorado. Join us and find meaningful work in public service to our state and its residents, helping to make Colorado a great place to live and work in. Please watch the short video below for tips on applying.

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Colorado for All Philosophy: Colorado for All means working toward a Colorado where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. It means we support the basic human rights of our neighbors regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education level, disability, socio-economic status, or any other visible or invisible identity.

The Department of Personnel & Administration (DPA) is the foundation for dependable state government, leading with responsiveness, integrity, and teamwork. We provide services to other government agencies and all Coloradans by taking bold initiative toward a government with engaged employees, innovative solutions, and constructive partnerships.

DPA provides a wide range of programs and services, from custodial & maintenance to financial and human resources support, which assist other state agencies in fulfilling their missions. At DPA, there are countless opportunities to contribute to meaningful work that supports and serves the people of Colorado. The wide variety of positions in DPA allow individuals to learn about state operations and provide for long-term career growth.

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference and build greater public confidence in good government, consider joining the dedicated people of the State of Colorado; it's a chance to combine your expertise with public service. Our professionals strive to support state government and the residents of Colorado. Customer service is a key component for every position in state government as is the focus on ideas and ways to redesign the delivery of services in making state government more.

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Why We Want You:

We want your expertise, positive energy, drive to succeed, and love of this great state as we work to elevate the expectations Coloradans have of their government.

What You'll Get From Us:

In return for the skilled work you do, DPA provides a competitive compensation and benefits package to accompany employment opportunities. Please see the Benefits Overview video for details on the benefits offered to employees.

The position directly supports the state in all areas of procurement and serves as a liaison between the State Purchasing and Contracts Office (SPCO) and external customers, including state agencies, the DPA Executive Office, State Controller's Office, and Attorney General's Office to ensure programmatic compliance with applicable rules, regulations, and requirements. The position is responsible for developing, evaluating and administering statewide price agreements and to be accountable to programs across all state agencies that are critical to the success of state government. The position provides agency support, guidance, and training and develops statewide policies and procedures.

A summary of the duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Statewide Price Agreement Solicitation and Contract Administration

• Develop, implement, and administer statewide price agreements, which are used by all state agencies, political subdivisions, public school districts, institutions of higher education, and qualified non-profit entities. Decisions made by this position impact all of these entities.
• Provide guidance to State Purchasing Manager and/or Chief Procurement Officer regarding procurement strategy, including the need for any new state price agreements
• Manage price agreements for this position's area of expertise from inception to completion.
• Identify possible new state price agreements to meet agency needs.
• Develop new price agreements to be responsive to Executive Orders or requests from agency leadership.
• Conduct thorough market research to include work with vendors or other experts to verify specifications, industry practices and related issues.
• Develop solicitation documents, manage evaluation process and teams, and award to winning vendor/s.
• Develop, negotiate, implement and administer price agreements.
• Serve as a contract manager for contracts and monitor price agreements to ensure vendors and the state are complying with terms, conditions, and pricing, and review vendor performance by requesting and analyzing data from end users/agencies.
• Monitor renewals and terms of price agreements and assist in planning for future need for resoliciting or modifying agreements.
• Maintain procurement records on CORE, VSS, or other approved platforms.
• Collaborate with others regarding availability of goods/services and price changes to ensure a continuous source of supply.
• Build and maintain market knowledge for related price agreement areas of responsibility.
• Seek out continuous improvement opportunities and bring ideas to the Price Agreement Manager and the Chief Procurement Officer for implementation.

Agency Support, Guidance, and Training

• Conduct Requests for Information, Requests for Proposals, Invitations to Negotiate, or other market research and/or sourcing methods on behalf of non-delegated state agencies and state agencies with a Group 1 purchasing delegation.
• Provide guidance and support to Group 2 purchasing agencies for Requests for Proposals other sourcing methods, per the agency's purchasing delegation.
• Provide technical guidance to all levels of procurement staff in different state agencies regarding interpretation of procurement rules and policies, procurement strategy, the proper methods of procurement for specific commodities/services, specification writing, appropriate terms and conditions or related language, and proper use of statewide purchasing agreements. Agency staff seek technical guidance from this position regarding price agreements and procurement rules and policies.
• Develop and present guidance to statewide procurement community and/or participate in roundtable discussions and question-and-answer sessions at SPCO-led events.
• Provide guidance to vendors about the procurement process by explaining how they can do business with the State.
• Participate and meet with procurement staff from local governments, states and other cooperative purchasing entities, attend conferences/meetings including travel and serve in leadership capacity as warranted.
• Support SPCO efforts to design, implement, and administer training and monitoring programs to improve state agency procurement activities.
• Provide training and assistance to other SPCO staff as requested

Policies and Procedures

• Assist in developing and implementing policies, procedures, operating plans and programs for SPCO as well as the statewide procurement community.
• Make recommendations and provide feedback to the State Purchasing Manager and/or Chief Procurement Officer regarding specification standardization, trend projections, and process improvements.
• Review procurement questions raised by the procurement community as well as the Governor's Office. Assist in evaluating responses to these questions and provide input on decisions made by the State Purchasing Manager and/or Chief Procurement Officer.

SPCO support

• Maintain current knowledge of the fiscal, procurement, and contract fields, including unique professional knowledge regarding cooperative purchasing, as well as SPCO functions and responsibilities in order to incorporate trends and be forward-thinking. Self monitor and obtain training/guidance as needed to assure continued expertise

• Support SPCO by providing assistance with open records requests, planning, organizing, and carrying out SPCO events, and other duties as assigned.

• A Human Resources Analyst will only review the work experience/job duties sections of the online job application to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications for the position for which you are applying. Cover letters and resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of the official State of Colorado online application, but may be attached. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications to continue in the selection process for this position. Work experience and qualifications must be specifically documented on your online application. Do not use "see resume" or "see attached" statements on your application. Resumes will not be reviewed for minimum qualification screening. If it is determined that you meet the minimum qualifications, your application will also be used as part of the comparative analysis process to identify a top group for further consideration.

Skills-Based Hiring This position is advertised in line with the Governor's executive order (Executive Order 2022 015) (Download PDF reader) focused on skills-based hiring practices that focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities specific to the job and aligns the hiring process accordingly. Skills-based hiring reduces potential barriers for applicants and allows for reduced bias in the hiring process by providing a direct description of skills that are unique to the duties assigned to the position with a recognition that the applicant may have developed these skills through education, training or past experiences.

Residency Requirement:

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

Class Code & Classification Description:

H1L4XXPurchasing Agent IV

Minimum Qualifications:

Experience only:

At least seven (7) years of experience in procurement which includes development of specifications and statements of work, issuing formal solicitations, managing proposal evaluations, and negotiating contracts.

OR

Education and Experience:

At least a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in a field of study related to the work assignment AND at least three years of experience in procurement which includes development of specifications and statements of work, issuing formal solicitations, managing proposal evaluations, and negotiating contracts. Additional appropriate education will substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

The exceptional candidate will possess the proven ability or accomplishment in the following preferred qualifications:

• Previous State Service related to the work assigned to the position

• Prior experience managing Information Technology contracts

• Previous government service related to the work assigned to the position

• Working knowledge of the Colorado Procurement Code and Rules

• Experience creating and managing solicitations, from initial drafting through vendor selection

• Experience drafting, negotiating, and managing a diverse contract portfolio

• Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), NIGP Certified Procurement Professional (NIGP-CPP), or other professional procurement-related certification

• Proven strategic and analytical thinking, research skills, and problem solving

• Ability to partner strategically with professionals, consultants, stakeholders

Conditions of Employment:

• A pre-employment criminal background check will be conducted as part of the selection process.

Comparative Analysis Process

The comparative analysis process for this position may consist of a structured application review, an online assessment or other structured assessment step.

Appeal Rights:

An applicant who has been removed from an employment list or removed from consideration during the selection process may request a review by the State Personnel Director.

As an applicant directly affected by the results of the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file a written appeal with the State Personnel Director.

Review of the completed, signed and submitted appeal will be timely on the basis of written material submitted by you, using the official appeal form signed by you or your representative. This form must be completed and delivered to the State Personnel Board by email at ... within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgment of the Department's action.

For further information on the Board Rules, you can refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov/board-rules.

Employment Philosophy: The State of Colorado strives to build and maintain workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans. We are building a Colorado for All through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness. The State is committed to non-discriminatory practices in hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

Accommodations: The Department of Personnel & Administration is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Heather Siegal ...